A Star Reborn
by new21writer
Summary: Eirlyn wakes up one day to find she's not where she last fell asleep. Confused and lost, she wanders in the wilderness only to be found by Aragorn. But she's not an ordinary human. She's what we'd call 'a star personified'. Not yet fully understanding her worth, see as she fulfills her duties with time. Rising above all else. 10th walker. Aragorn/OC.
1. Wandering

**Author's Note: So, this is the very much overused idea of girl falls in ME, but I've tried to make it worth a read. I've taken some ideas from 'Stardust' (movie), and created this character which hopefully will not be a Mary-Sue. Reviews are always welcome. And well, on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to their respective copyright owners, so don't sue me.**

Eirlyn Bennett opened her eyes to a red hued morning sky. She smiled at the sight, watching the clouds journeying across the blue sea of boundless air. Turning her head to the right, she inhaled in the sweet aroma of the fresh grass laden with tiny droplets of dew. A soft sigh of contentment escaped her lips, but then her mind cleared of the sleepy haze it was in and she started. Bolting upright, she took stock of her surroundings and nearly had a heart attack when she realized she was outdoors, in some kind of woods. And _that_ was not where she had gone to sleep. It had been in her cozy bed, under the warm comforter, with her head cradled on her favorite pillow. It had been in Oakland and definitely not in this middle of nowhere; with hard rock to call pillow and damp earth as her bed. And where is her blanket? Oh, it must be the sky above!

The young woman made a face as a shiver ran up her spine. There was a slight chill in the morning air and she only had a t-shirt, along with a pair of shorts, covering her form. She cursed out loud at whoever had abducted her and abandoned her there, but she knew it was a highly unlikely possibility. Who kidnaps random persons like her and leaves them at God knows what place? She wanted to believe that it was a dream, but she knew what dreaming felt like and her thought process was way too coherent for it to be a dream.

And then the inevitable hit her. She was alone, in some wild forest, and she had no idea whatsoever as to how she came to be there. Maybe she had hit her head really hard and, like in the movies, the last thing she remembers is going to bed yesterday but in reality longer time than just a night had passed and she's clueless about it. That was the only logical explanation her mind could draw for her and so she accepted it, though reluctantly. But with it came new questions which her theory couldn't legitimately explain. If she really had lost her memory, then how come she was in the same clothes she last remembered herself to be wearing?

Feeling her frustration building up at the lack of answers, Eirlyn rubbed her hands across her face and decided to find a way to… somewhere… _anywhere_. As she went to stand up, she noticed her bare feet and groaned. She never categorized herself in the complaining lot (well okay, maybe she deserved to be in the complaining lot, but only the least one, mind you), but this time she did complain to the heaven above about the lack of footwear in this wilderness. Didn't mankind create shoes for unfavorable conditions like the one she was currently in? Anything would do for her; even that hideous pair of neon pink sneakers she had to wear in middle school for some costume party a long time ago now. Though a fitting size for her now much larger feet would be appreciated.

Shaking herself from the useless direction her train of thought had taken, she proceeded towards north, paying heed to where she was stepping. But it was no walk in the park, for even the wildest, dirtiest, and most unkempt parks would prove to be gentler on one's foot than here. Not that she would know, as she never stepped out of her shoes outdoors, unless it be for some special feat.

Stepping over what looked to her like bird poop, she looked up at the vast maze of trees that lay ahead of her and gave a defeated sigh. If she kept moving at this pace, it'd be days or maybe months before she reached another human who could help her. She had covered all of around 200 meters in the past half an hour, dodging every little thing capable of hurting her feet. It was now either speed or her feet. A tough choice yes, but she wanted out of here as fast as possible and so speed it was. Her feet be damned. To heaven.

XX

It had been hours. She did not know how many but she knew they were quite some; as the sun was high up in the sky and her whole body felt exhausted from walking that long. Tears were stinging her eyes and falling down her face, of fear, frustration, and pain. She was not one to easily cry, but there were times when her emotions would overwhelm her and she would let it all go. Now was one of those times. She was sure she had covered a few miles, if not some, but there was still no sign of civilization to be seen. Just where the hell was she? Surely there was no place on earth man hadn't reached. Or so she liked to think. Because if there _was_ some place where humans didn't live, then she was screwed. Big time.

Now, even her stomach had started to make its never ending demand for food known to her. She had skipped dinner last night, going straight to bed after a long day at work. Her mother had always told her to never compromise on the basic three meals of the day, and boy would she have benefitted from listening to her. At least then her overly empty stomach wouldn't hurt so much. If only she would've stayed up ten more minutes to eat the left over pasta, she wouldn't be adding to her misery. But there was nothing she could do now. For even the trees around her weren't laden with fruits; which even if they did, she wouldn't risk eating lest they be poisonous. Seeing no respite from her limitless sufferings, she continued on, praying to whoever watched over her for it to stop. But relief was not written for her it seemed.

XX

It was night now. And Eirlyn was afraid to sleep; not that she could possibly find any comfort on the hard ground beneath her. No, it was not the lack of comfort that bothered her. It was what roamed the darkness that set her on edge. She had watched enough of Bear Grylls to know that night was rarely friendly to one who was lost. He would usually light a fire and make a camp, but she had no resources with her to do that. After all those long hours of watching him survive against all odds, she was really proud of remembering absolutely nothing worth something. If only she had paid more attention to what he was doing rather than fantasizing about his well maintained body. Oh, how her list of regrets was growing ever longer.

With nothing to do but brood, she averted her mind away from the eerie silence and occasional howls that rang throughout the area, and forced herself to think of something equally scary. Her home. What if she never got back? What would her father and brother be doing right now? What about her friends? Would they be worried about her or happy that she was finally out of the picture, like the super _loyal_ asses they were? Frankly, she never understood why she bothered with them. Her mother had always told her to be careful of fake smiles and honey-dripping voices. Mother. Thinking about her mother made her feel safe, for she knew that her mom would always be watching over her from up above.

Her mother had died some 9 years ago, when Eirlyn was 21, leaving a charming necklace to her. It had been passed down from mother to daughter for generations. No one knew for how long it had been in the family, but it had been long enough for its origins to be forgotten. Looking down at the beautiful piece of craftsmanship, Eirlyn could not help but gasp. She had worn this pendant everyday for the last 9 years, but never had it glowed or shined like it did now. She carefully undid the clasp at the back of her neck and examined the star shaped pendant. Yes, it resembled a hypothetical star but that did not mean it had to shine like one too. Shocked as she may be, she beheld it with an expression of awe on her face. The jewel had been gorgeous before but now it was downright amazing.

'So, that is where the soft light was coming from,' she mused. And felt rather stupid for not noticing it before. After all, how was she able to see this much around her in the absolute darkness, even with her eyes adjusting to the dark? But in her defense, she was tired beyond numbness, hungry like a black hole, and scared as a little girl. So, of course her mind wasn't at its best. Fastening the silver chain around her neck once more, Eirlyn decided to close her eyes, just for a short time. But when has a tired body listened to logic against sleep?

'But why would it shine in the first place? On its own?' was the last thought she had before she succumbed to sleep.

XX

It had been days. Five freaking days. And she was still roaming the god damned forest. Or were those trees just people who don't talk back, and she was actually in a very busy street in Oakland? Great! Now she was delirious. Delirious and starved. She had found some small stream on day 2, so dehydration was not a problem. But hunger was. She had thought of eating some wild berries that happened to be growing on her way, but the notion of them killing her was much too scary for her, so starving it was. But wasn't she going to die eventually? So what was the point in fearing food poisoning? It'd be better than this constant pain in her stomach. Oh, who was she kidding? She was too chicken to risk it, instead hoping for some miraculous help waiting beyond just this tree or that. All sense of direction had been lost. Her sleep deprived mind had been driven to its very limits, and every thought process seemed to take forever. Her senses were becoming dull, every step she took was like crossing the Broadway in one single step, and her system felt like it would shut down any minute.

"So, this is what dying feels like," she said to whoever was listening, sinking to the ground at the base of a giant tree root. She had no more power left in her, no more fight to stay alive. And that was when she heard footsteps, the sound of crunching leaves. She thought it was the angel of death, coming to take her with him and end her suffering, once and for all. But what emerged out of the tree-line was no person garbed in white, wearing a gentle smile, and a halo around his head. No. The man was clad in dirty clothes, a wary expression on his face, and what peeked out over his head was a quiver of arrows.

"You are no angel," Eirlyn breathed out sadly, and closed her eyes.

"Who are you?" the man asked her.

"Eirlyn."

"And what must a lady be doing here?" he questioned again. His voice was much closer now, so she opened her eyes to take a look. He could be a killer for all she knew. But now she did not care. What matters how she died?

"Searching for a way out, food, civilization, and searching some more," she answered, eying him when he crouched down in front of her.

"Milady, you are hurt," he stated concernedly, taking into account her bleeding feet and scraped palms. Not to mention a few bruises here and there, from when she had fallen down a slope. "How long have you been lost?"

"5 days… Do you have anything to eat? I feel ravenous…" she trailed off, her mind telling her to save as much energy as she can.

"Aye milady, here, let me help you." The man took out something from his rucksack, and offered it to her. She took it tiredly, not having the energy to even be happy at finally having something to it. She did not even know how it tasted, it was edible and that was all she could tell of it.

"I can tend to your injuries if you will let me, Lady Eirlyn," he said, and though his face was devoid of any emotion, there was a gentle note to his voice.

She nodded in agreement, "Thank you, but I just want to sleep." With that she finished whatever was given to her and sank down until she was lying on her back. Caring less whether the stranger stayed or went his way, she drifted into oblivion, but not before asking, "Who are you, by the way?"

"Aragorn they call me," he replied with just a hint of distrust in his eyes which went unnoticed by her.

She gave a short nod and pulled her eyes shut without much effort, while Aragorn set to work on her injuries. He only paid half mind to how peculiar the attire of the woman before him was. Or rather how scandalous. He was focused on the task of healing her body and that he did. But while working on the small cuts on her face and neck, he saw one thing no one in Middle-earth would've thought of seeing again. It was her pendant. The Tulyacálë they called it- the leading light. It was the brightest star to be ever seen in the night sky. Varda's best creation. And it was believed that its bearer was the very embodiment of the star. A star personified.


	2. Ruminating

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm so glad that some of you have shown interest in this fic. I'll try my hardest to keep this up to the mark of a readable story, not downright BS. Many a thanks to Danda225 who reviewed this story ahead of all. And yes, I'm gonna continue it for as long as I can. Plus, a ton of gratitude for all those who've added fav/follows for this story.**

Aragorn was caught off guard. A rare occurrence when you are a ranger, but this had clearly surprised him. Young maidens in need of help he can deal with, but he didn't know what to do with a long lost star. Ah yes! Eirlyn was not the first bearer of Tulyacálë to walk Arda, there had been one before her, long ago. She was named Elvëa by the Eldar, for she looked very much like a star with her silver hair and glowing body. Created by Elentári herself, she was just a bright star in the sky, the Tulyacálë, until Eru gave her an elf form, as a gift to Varda. It was known to all that Varda wished to have children of her own, but being a Vala she could not. And so Eru turned her most prized creation into an elf, who came to be known as Tintálliel, daughter of the Star-kindler.

Elvëa Tintálliel was revered by the elves like no other. She had the light of a star setting her alight with a soft glow, but when she was happy her glow would turn into a shine. The elves had never seen anything like her before, unless be it the Valar Queen herself. The silver chain around her neck bore a star shaped pendant, which enclosed within it a view of the Tulyacálë, still shining bright in the night sky, despite being embodied into an elf.

The Leading Star in the common tongue, Tulyacálë had a magical touch to it. Thought it normally shone exactly overhead at night, at the centre of the sky, it changed its position when one was lost, pointing them in the direction of the place, person or thing they wished to reach. And that was what earned it its name.

For many a thousand years to come, Elvëa walked Aman and then Middle-earth, guiding the lost towards light. But the days of light were not to last long, as darkness was rising in the lands of Middle-earth. An evil named Sauron. And she could not refrain from taking part in the war against him, despite the concerns of her loved ones. She stood as a beacon of hope, a symbol of the light still prevailing there, giving strength to the good. The last alliance of men and elves won the war, but their loss was too great for there to be any joy over the hard earned victory. It is said that when Sauron was killed by Isildur, the Dark Lord took down the Tulyacálë with him. Though it was never found whether Elvëa died or lived, for she had disappeared into thin air, never to be seen again.

When Varda heard of this, she was heartbroken. She loved her daughter the most in the world, and hearing of her supposed demise devastated her. But she knew that Eru would not give her a daughter, only to take her away. No. She knew that her beloved Elvëa lived somewhere and that she would return when the time was right. And so a prophecy was made- that when evil would again take a hold of Middle-earth, the lost star would return; and Sauron's darkness will forever be destroyed by its light.

Over the years after her disappearance, Elvëa gained a new name- Vanwelen, the lost star. And the hope of Tulyacálë's return had given a name to the next bearer too- Entulessél, the returned star.

So, for the next thousands of years, elves and men alike awaited the Leading Star's return. But it was not without a feeling of dread. For the star's return meant that Sauron had risen again, which could only mean one thing- death. Despite it all, they wished for it to shine again, to chase away the darkness once and for all. And though mankind was prone to forgetting, the elves were not, who preserved the legend of the Tulyacálë in their memories. And this was how Aragorn knew her, the moment he saw that jewel in her possession. She was Entulessél, with the same silver hair which were matted with dirt currently and, now that he noticed it, a faint glow that the legendary Elvëa possessed. But what was he to do with her? She was a treasure to all of Middle-earth and he couldn't leave her out in the woods like this. Not that he'd do that to _any_ maiden, but he understood the gravity of her importance and he also knew that taking her with him could turn out dangerous for her. As the enemy was hunting for Isildur's heir and being him wasn't easy for himself or those around him. But his decision had been made even before he weighed his options. He would escort her to Rivendell where his father, Lord Elrond, would know what was to be done.

But there was a slight problem. Aragorn had received a word some weeks ago from his long time friend, Gandalf, asking to meet him at the Prancing Pony Inn in the town of Bree, two weeks from now, for some matter of extreme importance. But Aragorn knew what 'matter of importance' he talked about, for the two had held a conversation about the One Ring a few months back. And the wizard had told him that it was now in the hands of a hobbit, who was going to carry it to Rivendell, under their protection of course. At that time, the task of protecting the hobbits had seemed quite dangerous, but now with the involvement of Eirlyn, he was sure it would be ten times worse. As now, not only were there a ring and two hobbits to safeguard, but the lady too, who, by the looks of it, was a novice in the ways of the wild.

Thus I reiterate; being Aragorn was never easy and never will be, if his luck stays as it is.

XX

Why did every morning has to start with something digging in her back? Oh yes, because she was still stuck in the forest she had decided to apparently get lost in. Sighing at her predicament, she tried to steal a few more minutes of bliss, but something caught her attention. There was something different this morning, something that stirred hope as well as fear inside her. It was a sound, of wood on metal, and was it the smell of soup? Curious, she opened her eyes to find a strange man moving around the fire over which a pot was placed. But oh, it was no strange man, as snippets from last night flooded her mind and she was able to pin a name to the strange face.

"Aragorn?" she called in a quiet voice and the said man looked up from where he was organizing his things.

"Ah! You are awake." He stood up from his perch on a large tree root and made his way over to her, stopping a few feet away. "You slept for quite some time. I was about to wake you up for lunch."

"It's noon already?" she asked in bewilderment, looking up the sky, or whatever was visible of it amid the thick branches of tall trees. Last she remembered it had been late evening when she had fallen asleep. Did she really sleep for a day and a half? Boy, she must've been really exhausted.

"Aye milady, you needed your rest, so I did not wake you up before," Aragorn said in a warm voice, not meeting her gaze. Eirlyn _did_ notice the lack of eye contact and found it strange, for last night it had been her who was unable to hold his intense gaze for long. Or maybe it was because she could not keep her eyes open for long. Shrugging her shoulders, she thanked him and sat up leaning against a tree, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Now fully awake, she studied the man before her and noticed his scruffy appearance, complimented by the sword and bow-arrow sitting beside him, giving him the perfect look of a warrior from the middle-ages. And this raised only two plausible explanations, neither of which boded well with her. First was that she was stuck in a forest she knows no way out of, with a psycho-warrior-wannabe who had a real sword with him. And the second one was that she had somehow time-travelled to the middle-ages, where men always were at war with each other and prince-charmings often swooped in to save the damsels in distress. Oh, how absolutely squeal worthy. Not.

"So, where exactly are we?" she queried, hoping to finally get some answers if not all.

"We are just 20 miles north of the North Downs," he replied, waving his hand in the general direction of whatever place he was talking about. Now though she had got an answer, it confused her even more rather than clearing things up.

"North Downs!?" She tried to think of any place near Oakland whose name even remotely resembled it, but unless the D of 'downs' was in fact a T, it made no sense to her.

"Aye, the range of hills where the great fortress of Fornost was established," the ranger explained, wearing a worried expression.

"Fortress… Fornost…" she nodded in a perplexed stupor. "Are we even in California anymore?"

"California!?" It was Aragorn's turn to be baffled now, and Eirlyn couldn't help but smile at the peculiar way he pronounced her home state.

"Oh joy!" she exclaimed in false excitement. "I think we underestimated how much I've gone astray." She sank down further into the tree trunk and placed her head on her knees, drawing them to her chest. "Oh dear God…" she breathed.

"Milady, are you alright?" he asked her, though he had an inkling as to what was bothering her. In response, he only got a muffled 'no' and he could hear her sniffling. At a loss of words of comfort, he just stood there awkwardly and watched her cry. What else was he to do? He was totally floored. You don't' regularly get a maiden, who's dear to the Eldar, Edain and Valar alike, a potential weapon against the enemy in the forthcoming war, and on top of that, not even of this world!

Suddenly she raised her head and asked in a small voice that hitched in the end, "How will I get home?" Looking in her tear brimmed eyes, Aragorn didn't see a fully grown woman of 30, but a scared little girl that forced his protective instincts to take control. He couldn't possibly understand the feeling of being in an entirely strange world, but he did understand the feeling of homesickness. And so, seeing her yearning for her home struck a chord within him and he was moving towards her. Crouching in front of her, he looked directly in her eyes and spoke with the conviction of a King, "We will find a way to your home. I promise."

She looked at him skeptically yet there was a trace of relief on her face. "And how will you do that? By a magic wand stolen from Harry Potter himself?"

The man gave her a small smile; the first she'd seen on his face. "I do not know of whom you speak of; neither do I have a magic wand. But I do know a wizard that may help us."

"Since when are wizards real?" she scoffed, conflicted over the sanity of the man.

"Since time immemorial." His reply was quick and blunt; as if it was common knowledge and she was supposed to know it.

"You can't be serious," she stated. But when he didn't break into fits of laughter and maintained his contemplative yet straight face, which she'd come to associate with his overall personality, she had to exclaim, "You've got be kidding me!"

"Nay lady, I am not _kidding_ you. I merely tell you the truth," he said, stressing the word 'kidding', whose meaning he'd probably deduced from her disbelieving expression.

"Wizards, huh? So what's next? Werewolves, djinns, chupacabras, the jersey devil?" she asked condescendingly, though one could hear the faint curiosity hidden beneath. "Please don't tell that Edward Cullen is real. I might just drown myself." Her expression was a dramatic level of horror, which left the ranger bemused and amused at the same time. Her interest in reading was known to all back home, and it wasn't just limited to a particular genre. So it wasn't surprising that she'd read Twilight and Harry Potter despite being overage for such YA stuff.

"I assure you that none of the persons you mentioned are real. Not to my knowledge at least," Aragorn said to sooth her worries but then his expression morphed into something dark, "Though wolves do walk these lands."

"Wolves…" she mused, gulping nervously. The idea of being eaten by wolves was definitely not on her 'things to do before I die' list, or rather 'how to die 101'. And now she realized what could've happened when she was alone in the woods, but thank God it didn't.

"You do not need to worry about wolves, milady. My sword can take care of them." His lips curved into a reassuring smile and she found herself trusting the man's words.

'Never thought I'd get to see a time when chivalry wasn't dead,' she thought, smiling at the continued use of 'milady' by him. She liked the sound of it; it was refreshing to her. "Thank you," she voiced her gratitude and was rewarded with an even wider smile.

"Come, our lunch is getting cold." He motioned to the fire behind him which lacked the pot she'd seen sitting on it, that was now placed beside the dwindling fire.

But before eating, she had another business to take care of. "I gotta pee so, carry on and I'd be right back," she told him hurriedly as she stood up and made her way to some secluded area.

"Do not wander far," he called behind her. She just nodded in response, for she knew that he watching her.

As she hunted for an appropriate place to answer nature's call, she reflected over what her near future was going to be like. Now that Aragorn had signed himself as her protector, guide, and companion, she had 3 less things to worry about- safety, finding her way through the forest, and loneliness. But it raised new problems, like lack of privacy, dependency on him, and some really awkward situations which were sure to ensue. But she wouldn't have it any other way. He seemed a trustworthy guy, and his company would definitely be better than being her lonesome. Better and pleasant.


End file.
